Monday, March 17, 2008

BYuT: in office or in opposition?

The BYuT parliamentary fraction has threatened not to attend the 18th March VR session unless a motion on pre-term Kyiv mayoral elections is first on the agenda for that day's business.

Tymoshenko's official website quotes her as saying: "In one of the articles of the coalition agreement there is a clear statement on early elections for Kyiv. So either approval for early elections will be the first item at the VR sitting, or we will not participate in the work of the VR."

She says she is convinced Yushchenko will support her initiative on these early elections, but, in her opinion the suspension of Kyiv's mayor, Leonid Chernovetsky for 15 days by Yushchenko, was: "[Merely] stalling the moment of destiny, and will not solve the problems which have accumulated in Kyiv."

Tymoshenko has achieved much in her second, short, hyperactive stint as PM, but boycotting parliament when your party is in office is a pretty dumb thing to do. PoR 'mouthpiece' Hanna Herman immediately accused BYuT of running scared because they cannot raise sufficient votes to pass any resolutions.

But looks as if there has been a rethink. 'Segodnya' quotes Tymoshenko as saying, "We will use civilized methods to ensure the VR does not consider even one question until a proposed resolution on early elections on the Kyiv mayor and Kyiv council is passed," adding that she has excluded the possibility of BYuT deputies blocking the VR speaker's podium.

p.s. Not sure who was more limp, the interviewer or interviewee Yanukovych in a bumbling interview on channel 5

p.p.s. From today's "Sunday Times": A Ukrainian steel group has taken a significant step towards what is likely to be one of the biggest floats in London this year.

Interpipe, which makes steel pipes and railway wheels, has appointed two nonexecutive directors and recruited banks for the listing, which should raise about $1 billion (£495m) and value the group at between $4 billion and $5 billion.

..Ukraine is also emerging as a happy hunting ground for the City.

At a conference organised by investment bank Credit Suisse this week, delegates heard that as many as 60 Ukrainian groups could seek UK listings."